In a chaotic world, we often search for comfort on screen, in shows like “Call the Midwife” and movies like “The Friend.” Based on Sigrid Nunez’s 2018 novel and adapted/directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, “The Friend” is a gentle exploration of friendship — between a woman and a dog. At its beginning, Iris (Naomi Watts), a New York City writer and writing teacher, is grieving the loss of her friend and mentor Walter (Bill Murray), but she’s soon dismayed to learn that Walter has left her not just memories, but his 150-pound spotted Great Dane, Apollo. Iris, who describes herself as a cat person, lives in a small apartment that doesn’t allow dogs — but something in Apollo’s expression touches her, and they embark on the bumpy beginnings of a life together.

That’s basically it for what happens in the movie, other than some amusingly arch commentary provided by Walter’s current and former wives (respectively, Noma Dumezweni, Constance Wu and Carla Gugino). (Walter, as Murray’s sly deadpan reminds us in a few flashbacks, was apparently a real piece of work.) But what emerges is a delicate study of grief, both the human and canine variety. Apollo, whose pointy antennalike ears perch above a pair of hauntingly sad eyes, has lost his favorite person; at Iris’ apartment, he clings to an old T-shirt of Walter’s and gazes at Iris endlessly, unable to ask her for what he really wants. And gradually we learn that Iris, who’s long lived in the shadow of loss (her rent-controlled apartment was previously owned by her late father), has her own burden of grief and anger for Walter, who died by suicide. Like Apollo, she’s not sure what to do with it; being able to speak doesn’t mean that you know the right words.

“The Friend” is a very New York movie, with its brownstone-lined streets and bookish apartments and literary professions, but its message is a universal one: Grief is a profound journey, better experienced with a friend at one’s side. It feels odd to be evaluating a dog’s performance, but Bing (the canine actor playing Apollo) definitely broke the heart of this cat person multiple times during the film. It’s a pleasure watching him and Watts connect, and to watch a film about so little and yet so very much.

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'THE FRIEND'

3.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for language including a sexual reference)

Running time: 1:59

How to watch: Now in theaters

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